This is NOT a regular blog, but rather an occasional diary piece!
May 2010
I have been entranced by the beautiful spring we have had. The vividness of the colours is stunning, not only all the pinks and the whites of the blossom and the stronger colours of the bulbs but the soft, translucent new leaves are such an intense green as they unfurl. New clients in north Devon like strong colours and I am inspired to design a garden filled with jewel-like colours; ruby, amethyst, saphire, amber............I can't wait to get to the drawing board!
I've had several hen-related design enquiries which have been fun. Keeping chickens is becoming mainstream and growing your own food is even more popular. If you haven't tried it before or have little space, the garden centres have a good selection of young vegetable plants at the moment. You could try a few different outdoor tomato varieties and a courgette or two. If you buy a packet of mixed lettuce seeds and sow a few every fortnight, you should have lettuces all summer for the price of one bag of supermarket salad leaves. You'll be amazed at how good they taste!
February 2010
To say that we have had difficult weather conditions this winter would be an understatement. A combination of frost, snow and heavy rain sometimes in a space of 24 hours has meant that outside work has been held up. Luckily Andrew's projects have gone ahead with only slight delays but it is difficult and counterproductive to garden in these sorts of conditions. The problem is that, by standing on frozen or water-logged ground, we damage the soil structure. This encourages poor drainage which in turn means that plants do not thrive as they should. It's frustrating but there's little to do about it but be patient, waiting for better conditions.
On days when it is possible to garden, it's a good thing to gently clear away dead and rotten leaves and other detritis from the borders, putting them onto the compost heaps so that they can rot down into rich organic matter. This can then be used as a mulch to retain moisture and condition the soil. As Percy Thrower said "The answer lies in the soil" and, if we look after its structure, the plants will pretty much look after themselves. The snowdrops are already in flower, there's frogspawn in the pond and,as you clear, you will see that there are other bulbs coming through. It's a joyful time in the garden, full of hope and promise.
On the subject of soil structure, I was asked recently to make a visit to a brand new house on a still-evolving development in Exeter in order to advise the newly-married owners on the development of their garden. It was the usual new-build story.... a thin layer of topsoil over the subsoil which had been impacted by all the heavy machinery involved in the building work. I advised them that the first thing was to break up the sub-soil pan, incorporating lots of organic matter and sharp grit to improve the soil structure and drainage. Luckily they have lots of energy and friends to help them with this essential work and they were fired with enthusiasm after our very productive discussion of how to make their new garden. They have the advantage of a blank canvas on which to mark out the shape of the space.
Even in a developed garden, it is easier to see its structure at this time of year, when we are not distracted by the colour of summer. The underlying shape of the garden is really important to its design and so often the shape is over-fussy and busy. My design style is a simple, strong structure softened with bold and voluptuous planting and it works well, even at this time of year.
The allotment plots
I have been able to work on the allotments because I grow in fixed narrow beds with paths in between. By standing on the paths and not on the soil, I have managed to clear almost all the ground, ready for planting later this spring. The tulips in the cutting beds are pushing through already and, at home, early new potatoes are chitting on the window sill. I have sown my tomato seeds in the propagator and the sweet peas and broad beans are hardened off, ready to go into the ground. The new year is taking off all ready, which is very exciting.
On a bright but cold day in January,Andrew and I built three fantastic compost heaps (using recycled materials) so that we have the space to utilise all our compostable waste. The smaller bins I made several years ago were too small and difficult to get at. The way that green waste turns to dark,crumbly, rich soil improver is near to alchemy and it never fails to thrill me! I wonder whether there is a Facebook page for other compost afficionados?
The hens seemed to manage in the snow very well. I have Black Rocks which have the reputation for being the hardiest. Their egg-production decreased with the shorter day length but they still kept us supplied with delicious eggs throughout the winter. Hen-keeping is becoming much more popular and with good reason. Even B&Q sell hen-houses now! Hens are productive, cheerful and, if you are able to move their run around, will clear the ground of weed-seeds and snails. Their manure, added to the heap, gets the mixture "cooking" all the faster. Hurrah for hens and compost!
August
August is often a tricky month in the garden. The first flush of summer flowers are over and there may be a lull until the blaze of colour comes back in September. On top of this, many people are away for a summer break and, on returning to the garden, find that it has all gone over. The lawn and the weeds have grown in the warm and often wet weather and the rest of the garden seems to have flopped especially if it lacking in good, structural planting. It's easy to lose heart but not too hard to get it all straightened up. It's amazing how mowing the lawn and cutting the edges makes the whole garden look managed again. It's rather like putting a frame on a painting.
DO try this at home.........
It is often difficult to find enough activities for children during the summer holidays but here's one which will give lasting interest for the whole family. Children, in my experience, love bugs and will enjoy using their ingenuity making a multi-storey insect hotel like these. I was inspired by one I saw at St Bridget's Garden Centre where, together with the Devon Wildlife Trust, they have made a small butterfly garden filled with plants which will attract beneficial insects which, in turn, will help increase the biodiversity in our gardens. Most of the materials for my bug houses came from skips although I did buy the very splendid ridge tiles from a reclamation yard (£5 each)and the alpine plants for the green roofs. It is fun to research how to provide as many different hiding places as possible for spiders, over-wintering butterflies, ladybirds etc and for nesting bees. You may like to supervise the use of some carpentry tools but a very satisfactory bug hotel can be achieved by simply stacking the different layers (but SAFELY). Insects appreciate warmth and shelter but toads and newts will like a shady, cooler spot.
What a pleasure!
I had a card from clients recently. I designed their garden in the Catherdral Close last year and The Garden Team built it, completing it in early summer 2008. They wrote to tell me how much they had been enjoying their garden and how, if I were passing, I must call in and take a look. I'm so glad I did. It was a joy to see how well the plants had filled out, despite last winter's cold, and to know how much they are using it. See more photos of this garden in the Smaller Gardens section of Recent Projects
The allotment plots.
August is the time to prune established and trained apples and pears. We have espaliered apples forming a living fence along one side of the allotment. We have included varieties which are suitable to the location and difficult to find in the shops and markets. They have lovely names such as Tom Putt, St Edmund's Pippin and Pitmaston Pineapple - and a great flavours. Pitmaston Pineapple really does have a pineapply tang! Cut all the new side shoots back to two leaves now to let light in to ripen the fruit and to encourage fruiting spurs for next year.
We have grown aubergines in the greenhouse for the first time as well as sweet peppers and have been gratified by the crop. The outdoor tomatoes have done well, especially the early variety Stupice and the plum tree has is full of fruit. It's lovely to be able to share the harvest with friends and neighbours.
